Peter Lyon's column

What is it about this batch of luxury Lexus hybrids that has generated such interest in the US? Because in Europe and Japan, the GS450h has met with lukewarm response. Sure the technology is breathtaking, but this car doesn't generate the prestige of a rival BMW or Mercedes, which buyers in this segment seem to want. And frankly speaking, 23mpg doesn't impress a European, right?

In the US, it's a different story. They have a new establishment called Bobos, short for 'bourgeois bohemian'. Coined by American writer David Brooks in his book Bobos In Paradise, this term perfectly describes a new generation of the enlightened elite of the information age. They are the new upper class - successful, wealthy, educated thirty-to-forty-somethings who dislike MTV, French cuisine and brand name goods, but like organic food, bossa nova music and the simple appeal of Muji shops.

They express their conscience via consumerism, and many buy discreet hybrids, as they don't want to stand out in flashy Mercedes, BMWs or Audis. It's this new class that Lexus has identified and is aggressively targeting.

Akihiro Nagaya, design development boss at the firm, says its new power-hybrids with their hi-tech, low-profile, earth-friendly image, fit the Bobos' philosophy right down to the ground. These people are looking for quality and prestige, but not necessarily with a German badge. And I'll bet you that the GS and LS hybrids find their way into hundreds of driveways in Hollywood, too, as the Priuses of stars such as DiCaprio, Diaz, Pitt, Sarandon and Nicholson are upgraded.

But in Europe, does such a formula translate? Not quite. Or not yet, at least. The Bobo phenomenon hasn't found its roots, and to sell executive cars in Europe, you still need power, prestige and good fuel economy. Lexus must make models that not only offer significantly better mileage than its diesel rivals. The first step is to replace the current nickel-hydride batteries with lithium-ion cells - which improve performance and fuel economy considerably. Lexus must also create a luxury niche for itself, outside of a world that immediately tries to compare it to Mercedes or BMW all the time.

The next thing that needs to happen is for Toyota to get serious about political lobbying so its hybrids are distinguished from ordinary vehicles. In the UK, you have congestion charge exemption and lower road taxes, but that needs to be addressed in other parts of the European Union, too.

And in the same way as Honda created three different Civic bodystyles for three separate markets, perhaps Lexus could pen a new model which would appeal more to the discerning tastes of European buyers. That certainly wouldn't hurt.